Aragon Exterior supports SME’s in Aragon with innovative products to obtain European funding to produce and market them

Funding to the value of €50,000 during the initial stage, and up to €2.5 million for production and marketing of innovative products, is the offer by the SME Instrument, a business funding tool within the framework of the European Horizon 2020 Programme, extending through the period 2014-2020. Access to this instrument designed by the European Commission with a fund of €76,880 million “is the perfect opportunity for Aragon company who have innovative products (not only an idea) and who need financial support to develop their business plan and produce and market said product both within and outside our borders”, outlined the Director of Aragon Exterior (Arex), Ignacio Martínez de Albornoz.
In order to successfully gain access to non-repayable funding, Arex tries to guide the SMEs through necessary advisory services in collaboration with a specialist consultant, whose professionals will guide companies about whether or not applying for these funds is appropriate for them, when to do it and under what conditions. Since it was implemented, four firms from Aragon have managed to benefit from the European programme (Rivi, Alphasip, Bit&Brain Technologies y Zeulab). To promote participation by new companies, Arex has developed a process to identify interested innovation companies who may be eligible for funding.
Over 20 countries in Aragon engaged in the health and bio-technology sector, energy and environment, industrial and agro-food industry have positively responded to the process. The scope of solutions to be developed by those SMEs is very diverse, from new industrial technology and IT applied to energy efficiency in buildings, waste management and other applicable to health care procedures, new construction models for buildings and agriculture and livestock. The workshop held this morning in the Hermanos Bayeu hall in the Pignatelli Building brought these companies together who held personal interviews afterwards with the consultancy firm selected by Arex, who will finance part of the advisory and management process in order to assess the potential of the company and maximise its chances of success.
The consultancy company includes 67 specialist engineers in the fields of industry, health and energy. The SME instrument is a newly created mechanism within the scope of the H2020 European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation in the European Union. This is particularly adapted to the needs of innovation SMEs, and accounts for a significant source of public funding today for companies who with to materialise an innovation project at European level. Funding through this instrument can be applied during the business model development stage or afterwards in product development at technological or industrial level. Interested SMEs can take part in a consortium with other companies or organisations, or individually. The Specific Programme establishes that the SME instrument is to have three phases with the aim of covering the complete innovation cycle.